New York Stallion Series On Tap at Aqueduct

(from Aqueduct report)Horses sired by New York stallions will be the center of attention Sunday at Aqueduct when the track hosts another New York Stallion Series.

Four stakes – a pair for both males and females – highlight the nine-race program. Combined purses for the Great White Way, Fifth Avenue, Cormorant and Perfect Arc exceed $450,000.

The stakes action begins with the fifth race, the $125,000 Fifth Avenue for 2-year-old fillies at six furlongs. Brassy Boots appears one of the better fillies in the nine-horse field as she makes her Aqueduct debut for trainer Howie Tesher.

A daughter of Dixie Brass, Brassy Boots enters the Fifth Avenue off a fourth-place finishing in the Oct. 3 Joseph Gimma at Belmont. Tesher called the effort, "pretty disappointing."

Before that, Brassy Boots ran two big races at Saratoga, finishing third behind eventual Frizette (gr. I) winner and Breeders' Cup Juvenile Filly (gr. I) runner-up Balletto in an entry-level allowance. Then, later in the meet, she defeated colts in a state-bred allowance. The runner-up, Up Like Thunder, returned to win the Bertram Bongard in his next start while third-place finisher Pelham Bay won the Oct. 23 Maid of the Mist.

Avery Hall was bred in New Jersey, but is eligible for this series because her sire, A.P. Jet, stands in New York. She enters the Fifth Avenue off an easy wire-to-wire maiden victory at the Meadowlands over fellow Jersey breds.

Pa Pa Da will sport blinkers as he tries to string together victories when he starts in the $100,000 Cormorant at a mile on turf. Nine were entered in the body of the race while Chowder's First and West Virginia were entered as main track only. He won a New York-bred allowance race in his last start.

West Virginia and Chowders' First would become the horses to beat if the Cormorant is moved to the dirt.

Ok Let's Go, a dominant maiden winner at the Big M in his last start, was one of 10 juveniles entered in the $125,000 Great White Way at six furlongs.

Trained by Cynthia Reese, this son of A.P. Jet, graduated from the maiden ranks in his fourth start, winning a six-furlong race by more than eight lengths. He should be close to the pace early on under jockey Stewart Elliott.

"It took him four starts to win, but I think he's got excuses in his first three races," Reese said. "We ran him over the summer and he wasn't really ready. We were trying to educate him. He's come around slowly. He's a big galloote. I think he's got plenty of upside."

Accurate should appreciate dropping in class after finishing fourth to the flashy and undefeated Galloping Grocer in the Sleepy Hollow. Trained by Steve Klesaris, Accurate ran his best race two starts back when third in the Bertram Bongard.

Ma Femme entered the 2003 Perfect Arc off a series of sound defeats, but proved impossible to catch that afternoon, leading from start to finish under jockey Julio Pezua.

A year has past since that mild upset victory. The game plan, however, remains the same. Ma Femme, a quick 6-year-old mare who has a habit of blasting off during the opening half mile of her races, was one of 10 entered in the body of the $100,000 Perfect Arc at a mile on turf.

Trained by John Hertler, Ma Femme has gone winless in seven starts since her '03 Perfect Arc score. She enters this race off a last-place finish in the Oct. 23 Ticonderoga.

Board Elligible was entered as main track only and will start at a paltry price if the race is moved to the dirt. Trained by Jimmy Ferraro, Board Elligible finished second to Ma Femme in last year's Perfect Arc on turf, but has clearly shown a preference for dirt racing. On the year, she has banked more than $231,000 while finishing fourth in both the Personal Ensign and Beldame (both gr. I). In her last start, she finished a close fifth while facing males in the Empire Classic.